Praise Great Cthulhu for the Æthernet. Coming to think of it, computer-related technology is the domain of the tick-tock man, himself an avatar of Nyarlathotep. So let us praise Nyarlathotep for the internet:

*buzz*

. . . go out among men and find the ways thereof, that He in the Gulf may know. To Nyarlathotep, Mighty Messenger, must all things be told. And He shall put on the semblance of men, the waxen mask and the robe that hides, and come down from the world of Seven Suns to mock. . . .

*buzz*

Nyarlathotep, Mighty Messenger

But back on topic: I was unable to watch the complete end of Atlantis‘ final mission due to time-difference and the fact I was at work. I cought a few glimpses at the BBC stream, though. Now I am delighted to find the final video of the mission on NASA’s Youtube channel, just as I expected and I am happy to be able to share it with you:

„A ship like no other, its place in history secured.“

and

„Mission complete, Huston, after serving the world for over 30 years.“

I guess most of you wish just like I do that there should be a successor now, a second generation Space Shuttle. Let us hope there will be a budget for it in the future and let us hope NASA gets a slice of the military budget.

John Glenn, a living legend, celebrates his 90th birthday today.
In case you actually do not know who John Glenn is (please feel really ashamed):
He is the first American to orbit the earth and also, and far more impressively, the oldest man ever to go into space. In 1998, when he was 77 years old, he was on STS-95.
To say this again, this man was in space, on board Space Shuttle Discovery when he was 77! And you think you are too old to do a few things? Forget it. This man did away with „I am too old“ once and for all.
Here are two official mission photographs:

From the Mercury Mission with Friendship 7:

and here is the one from 36 years later, when he went again, this time in a Space Shuttle, as mentioned earlier:

Apart from his distinguished career as a NASA astronaut, John Glenn was also a combat pilot in World War 2 and the Korean War and a Democratic senator and he has been a married to his high-school sweatheart since 1943! What a giant of a man.

So today, let us all raise our glasses and toast John Glenn, a living legend!